Japan Property Purchase Taxes in 2026: Acquisition, Registration, Stamp and Annual Taxes
Buying real estate in Japan involves taxes in addition to the purchase price. As of September 2026, buyers should distinguish taxes triggered by acquisition and contracting from recurring taxes after ownership begins.
Real estate acquisition tax
Tokyo Metropolitan Government guidance explains that real estate acquisition tax is generally calculated using the assessed value for fixed-asset tax purposes rather than the purchase price itself. For acquisitions through March 31, 2027, the stated rate is 3% for land and residential buildings and 4% for non-residential buildings. A temporary rule also reduces the taxable base for qualifying residential land and other specified land to one-half of its value through that date. Additional reductions may apply to qualifying housing and residential land.
Registration and license tax
Registration of ownership and other real-estate rights can trigger registration and license tax. The National Tax Agency’s guidance, current as of April 1, 2026, explains that the applicable rate depends on the type of registration, the asset and whether housing-related preferential rules apply. Buyers should therefore check the assessed value and planned registration rather than estimating this tax only from the sale price.
Stamp tax on sale contracts
The National Tax Agency states that reduced stamp-tax rates apply to qualifying real-estate transfer contracts prepared through March 31, 2027. Under the reduced table, a contract amount over JPY10 million and up to JPY50 million carries JPY10,000 of stamp tax, while an amount over JPY50 million and up to JPY100 million carries JPY30,000.
Fixed asset and city planning taxes after purchase
Fixed asset tax is imposed on the owner registered as of January 1 each year. In Tokyo’s 23 wards, the fixed asset tax rate is 1.4%, while the city planning tax rate is 0.3%. Housing-land special rules and reductions for qualifying new homes can change the actual tax. Tokyo also notes that prorating these annual taxes between seller and buyer at closing is a contractual market practice, not a statutory local-tax rule.
This article was reviewed on September 2, 2026 using official National Tax Agency and Tokyo Metropolitan Government materials. Eligibility for reductions and the final amount depend on the property and transaction, so transaction-specific calculations should be checked against current official guidance.